Who's On First?
by YankeeFan87
Summary: Who'd have thought a softball game could be so dangerous? Shawn gets seriously injured at the championship softball game for the SBPD...Hurt!Shawn and some Shules.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been thinking about this one for awhile and just decided to write some of it today. Probably a 2-parter, but here's part one for you all. Hope you like! Please review :)**

* * *

><p>"We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher!"<p>

"I'm gonna kill you Spencer," Lassiter growled, glancing over at Shawn who stood in ready position at third base.

"You're not supposed to heckle your own teammates, Shawn," Juliet scolded lightly from left field.

"I wasn't!" Shawn shouted back innocently. "I was just encouraging him to pitch the ball."

Detective Lassiter shot one more annoyed look over at Shawn before going into his windup. It was the championship game of the summer softball league – the Santa Barbara Police Department versus the Santa Barbara Fire Department – and the SBPD was up by one run in the bottom of the 7th inning. The tying run was at first with no outs, and Lassiter was determined to pull out the win. He saw Spencer creeping closer towards the plate, anticipating the bunt. _Smart idea_, he thought, returning his attention to the batter.

Carlton pulled his arm back, releasing the ball in a gentle, arcing pitch. The batter – Hank Huggins – wasn't one of the strongest hitters and Lassiter was surprised when he didn't turn and show bunt. Instead, Huggins followed the ball, swinging the bat with all his might, making solid contact and sending the ball careening into the field.

Shawn had almost no time to react, just a second to realize that he was in deep shit if he didn't catch the ball or get out of its way. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to do either. The loud crack the ball made upon hitting his head was deafeningly loud and everyone on the field and in the stands pulled in a collective gasp. Shawn went down immediately, collapsing into an unconscious heap near the third-base line.

Everyone seemed to freeze for a second as they tried to absorb what had happened; and then they exploded into action. Juliet sprinted in from left field, reaching Shawn's side first. She immediately assessed the situation, trying her best to stay calm. Shawn was unconscious, but she could tell his breathing was normal, if a bit fast. There was a large bloody gash above his left eyebrow and this concerned her most. It wasn't so much the blood – head wounds always bled a lot, but the fact that Shawn was now unconscious and unresponsive suggested a concussion or worse.

A crowd had gathered around her and Shawn, and she looked up to see Carlton barking out orders, shouting at people to stand back and give them space. Gus stood in the crowd, turning away for a second at the sight of the blood, then coming to crouch beside her.

"Shawn!" Henry Spencer, coach of this year's team, came running from the dugout, dropping to his knees by his son's side. "Shawn," he repeated when Shawn didn't so much as blink. "Did someone call an ambulance?" he asked Juliet. Jules looked over at Carlton because she honestly had no idea if someone had.

Carlton nodded. "A bus is on the way. Is he responding at all?"

Juliet shook her head, looking worried. Henry lifted Shawn's eyelids. "Pupils are unequal," he said grimly. "Definitely a concussion." Someone handed him a towel and he used it to gently press on the still-bleeding head wound.

That brought Shawn around, and he began shifting his head, moaning in pain. He opened his eyes, blinking up at his father. "Dad?" he gasped out, closing his eyes immediately when the sunlight caused his head to ache a thousand times worse.

"Shhh, you're okay Shawn," Henry said comfortingly and Gus looked over at the man, surprised at the tone of his voice. He'd only heard him be so gentle with Shawn on one other occasion, and that had been after he'd been shot and kidnapped.

Shawn groaned again, trying to bring his hand up to grab at his head. Jules stopped him, taking his hand in hers. "Shawn," she said calmly, and he turned his head towards her voice.

"Jules?" he whispered, still not opening his eyes.

"I'm here, Shawn." She squeezed his hand gently. "You need to stay still, okay? You were hit in the head with the softball and you've got quite a cut on your head." Shawn could hear the concern in her voice, could tell it was on the verge of breaking.

"M' dad's here?"

"Yeah kid," Henry answered, brushing Shawn's hair off his forehead.

"Gus?"

"Yeah man, I'm here too," Gus said, and it was obvious that it was hard for him to keep it together with all the blood, but he was trying.

"Mmm," Shawn mumbled, drifting again. "'Bout Lassie?"

"He's here too," Juliet said quietly. "Directing the ambulance, I think."

Shawn tried to nod, then cried out in pain. "Ahh!" he cried, trying to turn in on himself. Henry kept a hand on his side, making sure he stayed on his back.

"Hey, hey Shawn," Henry tried, though it was obvious Shawn couldn't hear past the pain. He kept squirming and Gus was holding him down now too. "Shawn," Henry said firmly, knowing Shawn would answer to that voice. Shawn stilled slightly. "I know you're in pain, kid. But you'll just hurt yourself more if you don't stop moving."

"Kay," Shawn whispered, having learned his lesson about nodding his head the last time he'd tried. Juliet squeezed his hand a little tighter and he tried to hold onto that, willing the pain to back off.

He heard Lassiter next, barking orders at people to get back, to let the EMTs through. He heard his dad and Gus introduce themselves to the EMTs and could tell they had stepped back to give them room. But Juliet stayed by his side when he squeezed her hand, silently asking her to stay. She looked up at the paramedic, seeking permission. "Can I stay?" she pleaded, hoping they wouldn't make her leave him.

"Yeah you can stay, just give us some room to work," he responded not unkindly. "Shawn?" the paramedic asked. "My name is Jim and my partner here is Bill. We're gonna get you taken care of, okay?"

"Yeah," Shawn gulped as they reached to examine his head wound.

"Still bleeding pretty heavily," he heard Jim tell his partner. "How are you feeling, Shawn? Besides your head hurting."

"Neck," Shawn whispered.

"Your neck hurts?"

"Yeah. Stiff."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Feel dizzy."

"Any nausea?"

Shawn gulped, bringing a hand up to his mouth. "Yeah," he choked out.

"Shawn?" Jim asked, concerned. "Are you going to be sick?"

Shawn groaned in response. "Okay, we're going to turn you on your side, Shawn." Shawn didn't answer and Bill moved to get beside Jim. Henry crouched down, offering his assistance, and Juliet supported Shawn's head as they turned him. Shawn gagged once, then emptied the contents of his stomach, gasping in pain as the action jolted his head, making him see stars. He could feel tears running down his face, but he was in too much pain to care.

After what felt like hours, Shawn's stomach calmed and he relaxed slightly. "You okay Shawn?" his dad asked.

"No."

Henry chuckled slightly. "Yeah, dumb question." They rolled him onto his back carefully, and Bill went about taking his blood pressure and pulse. Henry didn't like the look Bill shot his partner when he'd finished. "What's wrong?"

"Pulse is sluggish and his blood pressure is too high. We need to get him to the hospital now, have a doctor check him out. Hey Shawn?" Shawn had his eyes closed again and he was humming quietly to himself, trying to cope with the pain. He opened one eye to look at the paramedic. "We're going to put a brace on your neck, okay? It's going to be a little uncomfortable, but it's necessary." Shawn mumbled something in assent and Bill moved to put the brace on him. Shawn groaned as the motion jostled his head, but calmed a little when he felt Juliet tracing her finger up and down his arm.

Jim wheeled a stretcher over to Shawn while Bill taped gauze over the still-bleeding cut. Shawn was mostly out of it now and Henry was getting more and more worried. He knew Shawn sometimes liked to milk injuries, but that wasn't the case this time. He was uncharacteristically quiet and Henry knew that meant he was in pain.

"We're going to move him to the stretcher now," Jim said, addressing Henry. "We could use some help."

Lassiter stepped up then. "Need a hand?" Jim nodded.

"That'd be great. Okay, you get on the side with Bill. Henry, come to this side with me. On the count of three, we're gonna lift him onto the stretcher. Very gently." Jim counted to three and the four men lifted Shawn quickly but smoothly. Juliet supported his head, making sure they didn't jostle it too much. Shawn was groaning again once they'd finished moving him, trying to bring his hands up to cradle his head, but Juliet stopped him again.

"Jules?" Shawn asked, confused. "What's goin' on?"

"You don't remember?" she asked worriedly.

Shawn shook his head, causing the pain to ratchet up a notch. His dad was there now, and he looked just as worried as Juliet. "Dad? Why's my head hurt?" He saw his dad look over at someone and assumed he was some kind of medical dude.

"It's normal for concussions but we still need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible," he heard the man tell his dad, and he remembered something about a softball game and pain, but it was all hazy. He closed his eyes again, deciding he didn't want to remember, then felt the bed he was on begin to move. He was suddenly overcome with dizziness and he heard himself let out a moan. Juliet squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, hoping she wouldn't leave.

The bed stopped moving and he was lifted into a van – probably an ambulance – he concluded. If the pain in his head was anything to go by, he definitely needed medical attention. Juliet tried to release his hand, but he held on tight. "I'll meet you at the hospital, Shawn. Only one person can ride. Your dad will stay with you." Shawn didn't let go, though.

"Detective, you ride with him," Henry said. "I'll go with Gus."

"Are you sure?" she asked, though she was beyond relieved he had suggested it.

"Yeah I'm sure. He needs you right now." Shawn felt his father's hand on his forehead. "See you soon, kid," Henry said gently. And then he climbed down from the ambulance and someone shut the door tightly.

"Can you give him something for the pain?" he heard Juliet ask and realized he was still moaning.

"We can't," he heard one of the paramedics say reluctantly. "Not with the head wound. Don't worry, we'll be there soon, and the doctor will give him something for the pain."

Juliet was clearly upset with that news, but she stayed quiet, instead stroking Shawn's arm again, trying her best to comfort him. "You'll be okay," she said with more confidence than she felt, praying the ambulance would go faster so Shawn could get the help he so badly needed. "You're gonna be just fine."

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I' m having too much fun with this...so it's gonna be longer :) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Henry and Gus sped to the hospital as fast as the Blueberry would take them, arriving just after the ambulance. They hurried into the waiting room, hoping there would be some word on Shawn's condition.<p>

"Juliet? What's wrong?" Gus asked anxiously once they entered the room. Juliet was sitting in the empty waiting room of Santa Barbara General and it was clear she had been crying. Gus sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder, noting that she was shaking.

"Did something happen to Shawn?" Henry this time.

Juliet nodded jerkily, her voice hitching on the words as she explained what had happened in the ambulance.

It had been the ride from hell, right from the start, with Shawn in excruciating pain. He was more confused than he'd been on the softball field and on more than one occasion he had tried to get off the stretcher, unable to understand where he was or why. Juliet had tried her best to comfort him but even her efforts hadn't worked and he'd gotten more and more agitated. They had been just five minutes from the hospital when he'd started seizing.

Shawn had been lying quietly on the gurney when his eyes had suddenly rolled back into his head and his whole body had started shaking. Bill immediately pulled the ambulance over and he and Jim held Shawn, trying desperately to prevent further injury to his head. The seizure lasted for less than a minute, but to Juliet it seemed like hours. And then Shawn had gone completely limp and Juliet was certain for one heart-stopping moment that he wasn't breathing.

Jim quickly took Shawn's vitals, noting with increasing worry that they had taken a turn for the worse. He reported the news to Bill and they'd cut the last five minutes of the drive in half. Juliet hadn't even had a chance to process everything before they arrived at the hospital and whisked Shawn off, leaving her standing alone in shock and worry.

Which brought her to this moment now, where she sat in a hard-backed hospital chair, barely able to keep it together as she told Mr. Spencer that his son was even worse than they'd thought.

Henry listened to Juliet's story, becoming more and more worried by the moment. He hadn't intended to call Maddie until Shawn had been checked out by the doctors, but now that the situation seemed so much more crucial than it had originally, he knew he owed her a call. Right after he got some more information.

"Excuse me?" Henry asked, trying to get the attention of one of the ladies sitting behind the front desk. She was on the phone, clearly not happy with Henry's interruption. She held up a finely-manicured finger, indicating that Henry would have to wait. He looked past the desk, trying to see if there were any nurses he could ask. "Miss?" he asked when he saw a woman in pink scrubs in the hallway. He knew he looked frantic and desperate and he hoped she might take pity on him.

The nurse – Amanda – stopped when she saw the man coming towards her, knowing he was probably a worried parent or husband. "Can I help you?" she asked kindly, but Henry could tell she was in a hurry.

"My son was brought in here – Shawn. He was hit in the head by a softball," Henry rushed out, not stopping for breath.

Amanda's expression changed then, looking at Henry as if she was trying to place him. "You're Shawn's dad?"

Henry nodded. "You know Shawn?" he asked, realizing that he tended to ask that question a lot.

"Everyone here knows Shawn," she said warmly. "We were all really worried when we heard what happened." She began to lead Henry back to the waiting area. "The doctor is working on him now, but I'll see what I can find out for you. Just wait here." She hurried off again before Henry had the chance to thank her.

"Why does it seem like everybody in Santa Barbara knows Shawn?" he asked aloud, not expecting an answer from either of his son's friends. They all looked up when a crowd of people rushed into the waiting room, recognizing them as the Santa Barbara Fire Department and half of the SBPD.

"Mr. Spencer!" Henry recognized the man as Hank Huggins – the batter who had hit Shawn. He looked terrible, like he'd been through the ringer. Henry could only imagine his guilt. "I'm so sorry for what happened. Have you heard anything?"

"It's okay, Hank, it was an accident. No one blames you," he saw Hank's expression relax a little. "We're still waiting to hear about Shawn, though," he added in answer to the question. Hank nodded and sat in the chairs with the rest of his teammates.

Detective Lassiter phoned Juliet, asking her for an update and letting her know that he would cover her work while she was at the hospital and the chief had given Henry a call to tell him that everyone in the department was thinking of Shawn. Henry was so grateful for the outpouring of support, though he wasn't surprised. Shawn seemed to make friends wherever he went.

The group of friends waiting on Shawn grew and dwindled as officers and firemen were called away to their jobs. Henry, Juliet, and Gus sat quietly, all three in tense silence, praying for their son, boyfriend, and best friend. Just as Henry was about to get up and hunt down another person to help him find out about his son, a tired-looking doctor stepped into the waiting room.

"Family of Shawn Spencer?

* * *

><p><em>Bwahaha cliffy! Let me know what you think<em>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! This chapter has some medical mumbo-jumbo in it, and I will admit I don't know the first thing about any of it. So I'm sorry if it's inaccurate - I was just trying to make it sound believable. Thanks again, guys! I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p>"Family of Shawn Spencer?<p>

Everyone grew silent, looking over at Henry as he stood, apprehension written on his face. "I'm his father," he said, holding out his hand. "Henry."

The doctor nodded. "I'm Doctor Henderson. I treated your son when he came in." He paused, looking around the room at the large crowd. "Let's go speak in my office."

Henry agreed, then looked back at Juliet and Gus. "They can come too," he said, indicating the pair. "Juliet is Shawn's girlfriend and Gus is like family."

"Very well," Doctor Henderson said, turning around and heading down the hallway. The trio followed the doctor, each terrified of the news he had to tell them.

"Please have a seat," Henderson said, motioning to the three chairs behind his desk. Henderson waited for them to sit, then looked directly at Henry as he began to explain Shawn's condition. "Mr. Spencer,"

"You can call me Henry."

Henderson nodded. "Very well. Henry, your son arrived at the hospital in very serious condition. The ball struck his head so hard and in such a way that it caused what we call a subdural hematoma at the point of impact." The doctor paused, allowing Henry to absorb what he was saying before continuing. "Basically, the injury to the head has caused blood to collect underneath the skull. This has resulted in an increase in intracranial pressure – the pressure inside your son's skull."

Henry sat silently, trying to take in everything the doctor was saying but finding it incredibly hard to keep his mind from drifting to his son. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked, his voice shaky.

"Subdural hematomas, especially ones caused by blunt-force trauma to the head, are very serious," he stressed, "oftentimes they can be fatal," he added, and Henry had no idea why that piece of information was necessary. "Your son's is not as bad as we first suspected, though," Henderson clarified, recognizing the looks of fear plastered on each of the three faces in front of him.

"Is he going to need surgery to decrease the ICP?" Gus spoke up, putting his medical knowledge to use. Henderson looked over at him impressed.

"Hopefully not. If the intracranial pressure increases much more, however, that may be necessary."

"Brain surgery?" Juliet whispered, her voice low.

"Again, that's the worst-case scenario. Shawn is still in very serious condition and we have him on a ventilator to ensure his breathing is not compromised. He did have another minor seizure once he arrived, and we need to keep a close eye on that. But no surgery for now. We're going to monitor him closely and see if he can't improve on his own."

"Can we see him?" Henry asked. He needed to see his boy, needed to make sure for himself that he was still alive, still fighting.

Henderson nodded slightly. "You need to prepare yourselves before you go in. Shawn is hooked up to a lot of machines and it may seem quite alarming. He's fighting hard, though," Henderson said, turning to Henry. "You've got quite an amazing son."

Henry nodded, "Yeah," he agreed. "I do."

They followed Henderson to Shawn's room in the ICU, stopping at the door. "I have some patients I need to go check on, but if you need anything just let one of the nurses know."

"Thank you, Doctor," Henry said, shaking the man's hand again. Henderson nodded and turned to walk away and Henry opened the door to Shawn's room slowly.

Henderson's warning had been very accurate – it was definitely scary seeing Shawn in the state he was in. He was always moving, always active. To see him so still was just...wrong. Juliet gasped involuntarily when she saw the wound on Shawn's head. Almost the entire left side of Shawn's face was a mottled bruise, stretching down below his eyes and up into his hairline. There were deep bruises under both eyes, and where his skin wasn't bruised it was deathly pale.

Henry and Gus reacted in similar ways, both absolutely shocked at Shawn's appearance. The breathing tube down his throat only added to the shock. Henry approached his son, and Gus pulled up a chair for him to sit in. Henry reached out, putting a hand gently to the unwounded side of Shawn's head. "C'mon kid," he whispered, "don't do this to me." Gus found himself choking up at Henry's interaction with his unconscious son and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Spencer?" Henry looked back at his son's best friend. "Would you like me to let the people in the waiting room know?"

Henry nodded, his expression showing gratitude. "That'd be great, Gus. Tell them thank you. And that they can go home – we'll let them know if anything changes."

Gus agreed, heading out of the room and assuring the others he'd be back quickly.

Henry looked at Juliet then, standing a few steps behind him. She was looking down and Henry could tell there were tears in her eyes. He moved over slightly. "Detective," he said quietly. Juliet raised her eyes to look at him, a tear rolling down her face. Henry didn't know what to say to comfort her, but he knew she would like some time alone with Shawn. "Juliet," he said this time, using her real name for once. "Do you think you could stay with Shawn for a little? I need to call his mom and I don't want him to wake up alone." They both knew Shawn wasn't going to be waking up any time soon, but Juliet appreciated what Henry was doing for her.

"Of course Mr. Spencer," she said, wiping her face.

"You've been dating my son for 6 months now," Henry said, his voice kind. "You can call me Henry." Juliet let out a half-sob, half-laugh, the tears flowing more freely now.

"Kay," she said quietly. Henry reached out, pulling her into a hug.

"He's going to be fine," he reassured her, and she nodded silently against his chest. The two stayed like that until Juliet had calmed down. Henry pulled back to look at her, "You've been really good for him, you know? I've never seen him this happy before." With that, Henry turned to head out the door.

Juliet approached Shawn's bed slowly, knowing the damage looked even worse up close. She pulled up the chair that Henry had been sitting in and took one of Shawn's hands in her own, stroking it like she had in the ambulance. "Shawn," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please..." she trailed off. "I can't imagine my life without you." She studied his face, seeing past the bruises and the cuts, focusing only on the face that she knew by heart. "I love you," she whispered, allowing the tears to flow freely as she prayed for Shawn to wake up.

* * *

><p><em>More soon...please review :)<em>


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Didn't think I was ever going to update this one...SO sorry for how long it took, and thank you so much for all the amazing reviews. I hope this was worth the wait...**

* * *

><p>Juliet was still holding Shawn's hand when Gus and Henry returned. She looked at Henry as he and Gus pulled up chairs next to hers. "Did you talk to Maddie?" Juliet asked quietly, her voice hitching even though she tried her best to hide it.<p>

Henry nodded. "She's in New York at a conference but she said she would get here as soon as she could."

Neither Juliet or Gus said anything, and the three remained sitting in silence for the next few minutes, just watching Shawn breathe.

"It's weird seeing him so still," Gus said, breaking the silence.

Henry huffed out a laugh. "You're telling me. Kid hasn't stopped moving since the day he was born." Henry smiled, turning to face Shawn's best friend. "He's gonna be fine, Gus. You know him as well as I do. The kid's a fighter if I ever saw one."

Gus nodded, but Henry could see his eyes shone with worry and doubt. "Think the nurses will let us stay with him?" he asked, because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I think more than half the people in this hospital know Shawn," Henry said, happy when that coaxed a laugh from Juliet. "I think they'll pull some strings for us."

Gus nodded, satisfied. He could see Juliet trembling and he squeezed her hand. "You know Shawn used to cork his bat in Little League?"

Juliet looked at him, her expression incredulous. And she silently thanked Gus for trying to help take her mind off of Shawn's injury. "What 10-year-old even knows _how_ to cork his bat?" she asked, turning the question over to Henry.

Henry threw his arms up in a gesture that said he had no clue. "I don't know how he learned half of the things he did. Clearly it wasn't from Gus." They all laughed at that. "He got in a lot of trouble as a kid."

"And as an adult," Juliet pointed out.

"Yet he always managed to get out of it," Gus this time. "He'll be fine," he declared, suddenly sure of it. "He'll be back to being a pain in the butt in no time."

"I have some good news," Doctor Henderson announced, addressing Juliet, Henry, and Gus. It had been almost four hours since they'd been allowed back to see Shawn, and he hadn't even so much as twitched. "The swelling in Shawn's brain seems to be decreasing on its own. As it stands right now, we don't believe Shawn will need to go in for surgery." The relief in the room was palpable.

"So he's going to be okay?" Henry asked eagerly.

"I believe so, yes. But he still has a long way to go. We're going to leave him on the respirator until he wakes up, and I don't anticipate that to be for several hours, if not longer. And he still has a very serious concussion that could take weeks to fully recover from."

"What sorts of symptoms will he have?" Juliet asked worriedly.

"Painful headaches, vertigo, and nausea, to name a few. But those will pass with time. Now, the three of you are welcome to stay with Shawn for now – seems he has a lot of friends in this hospital. But you should really try and get some rest. As I said, he probably won't be up for awhile."

"Okay, we will. Thanks, Doc," Henry said as Henderson left.

"I'm not going anywhere," Gus said firmly.

"Me either."

Henry sighed. "Yeah I didn't think you two would wanna leave. Better get comfortable, then. It's gonna be a long night."

The doctor was wrong. Shawn woke up in less than an hour, jolting awake so suddenly that Henry and Gus nearly jumped out of their skin. Juliet had offered to get coffee for the trio, so she was noticeably absent when Shawn's terrified eyes scanned the room.

Shawn never did anything half-way, and this was no exception. The pain in his head was excruciating and he gasped for breath, becoming more and more panicked when he felt the tube down his throat. Shawn reached his hands to pull out the obstruction, unaware of his father and Gus trying desperately to stop him.

"Shawn!" Henry yelled, putting his hands on Shawn's to try and stop him. Shawn didn't seem to hear Henry and he continued to struggle, so Henry tried another tactic. "Shawn I need you to listen to me. Think about where you are. Why are you here?"

Gus looked at Henry in surprise, knowing there was no way Shawn could answer. Still, the tactic seemed to have calmed him down a little and it was clear he was struggling to figure it out.

"Don't try to speak," Henry told him, knowing that Shawn most likely would. "Concentrate on my voice. Don't fight the machine – let it help you breathe." Henry waited a minute for Shawn to follow his instructions. "Good, Shawn. Now, where are you?"

Shawn's eyes scanned the room, taking in the steady beep of the machines and the mint green walls of Santa Barbara General. Henry stopped him before he could mouth the words. "The hospital. Good. You took a softball to the head, kid. Lucky for us, you've got a very hard head." Shawn closed his eyes, remembering everything with painful clarity. He let out a cry as his head throbbed with renewed intensity. Opening his eyes, he saw Gus standing by his bed, looking more scared than Shawn had ever seen him. He tried to bring a hand to his head, anything to stop the pain, but Henry stopped him again.

"You don't want to do that," he explained patiently. Shawn was having a hard time dealing with the pain and confusion, and he felt the wetness of tears on his face. _That__was__so__not__cool_.

"Shawn?" it was the first thing Gus had said, and Shawn almost wished he hadn't heard the fear in his best friend's voice, knowing it was concern for him that had caused it.

"Gus?" Henry asked, turning to him. "Could you go get his doctor?" Gus nodded readily, taking one last look back at Shawn before rushing out to find Doctor Henderson.

Henry was trying to get Shawn to calm down again, worried that his son was in so much pain. Shawn's shoulders shook with sobs. Henry couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Shawn cry. Even though he knew this was a result of the concussion and the pain, it didn't make it any easier. He really hoped that Gus and Doctor Henderson would hurry up.

"Shawn?" Juliet's voice seemed to break through Shawn's haze for a moment, and he struggled to get a hold of himself. She quickly approached his bed, silently asking Henry if it was okay. Henry nodded, moving over so Juliet could sit next to him. "Hey," she said gently, wiping the tears from his face. "Good to see you awake, Shawn," Juliet said, smiling and reaching for his hand. Henry sat back, watching on in amazement as Shawn's breathing steadied and he calmed down.

By the time Gus returned with the doctor, Shawn was looking much better than he had when Gus had left. "I thought Gus here was joking when he told me you were awake," Henderson said, rounding Shawn's bed so that Juliet and Henry could stay seated by his side. He pulled out a penlight. "Just need to check your pupils," Henderson explained apologetically, knowing it would most-likely worsen Shawn's headache. The doctor seemed satisfied with the results, but Shawn was clearly in a considerable amount of pain and Gus could hear Juliet whispering comforting words to Shawn. "Okay, Shawn," Henderson said. "Frankly I'm amazed that you're awake. I'm going to increase your pain meds and order a sedative so you can get some rest," he told him, addressing Henry as well.

Shawn made a noise of protest, pointing to the tube in his throat. Henry laughed a little. "He wants to know when he can get the tube out," he translated.

"If you continue to improve, we'll take that out the next time you wake up. A nurse will be right in with the meds," he added before leaving.

As promised, a nurse was in to give Shawn his meds in no time. Within minutes, his eyes were closing, weighed down with exhaustion. "He should be out until the morning," she told the group. "You all should try and get some rest." Henry nodded, thanking the nurse as she left.

"Get some rest, Shawn," Henry told him, giving his son permission to sleep. Shawn couldn't have helped it anyway, he he closed his eyes and let the welcome pull of unconsciousness take him.

* * *

><p><em>Probably one more chapter after this to wrap everything up...thanks for sticking with me, I'd love to hear what you think!<em>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Stupid snowstorm in October...I've been without power since Saturday night. Without heat, without water, without electricity, and without internet. Horrible! So that's my explanation for not writing/posting. I'm using Starbucks' internet right now, so I figured I would post whatever I have so far. Thank you so much for all of your reviews! Sorry if I haven't responded, but lack of internet makes it hard. Thanks again! I hope you're still enjoying :)

* * *

><p>Shawn slept straight through the night, hardly stirring at all. Gus, Henry, and Juliet had taken turns dozing on the two cots that the nurses had provided them with, but none of them were able to get much rest. Even though they knew Shawn's prognosis was good, it was still hard not to think of worst-case scenarios. They wouldn't be happy until Shawn was out of the hospital, acting like his old hyper self.<p>

The second time Shawn woke up was much less stressful than the first, and Henry marveled at his son's ability not to panic. Though Shawn had needed a few minutes to remember everything that had happened, he didn't fight the respirator or try to move around too much. Doctor Henderson had gone home for the day, but his colleague, Doctor Jillian O'Sullivan, had been filled in on Shawn's condition and one of the nurses immediately sent for her.

"Hi, Shawn, I'm Doctor O'Sullivan," she told him, checking his vitals. "Doctor Henderson noted that you could have the respirator taken out as long as I decided you were strong enough." Jillian waited a moment, checking over Shawn's chart.

"And?" Juliet prompted when the doctor hadn't spoken.

Jillian smiled. "Everything looks good," she said brightly. Shawn smiled as best as he could with the tube down his throat, giving an enthusiastic thumbs up that drew laughs from the others in the room. "I'm going to have a nurse come and set everything up, and I'll be right back."

"How's the headache?" Henry asked once the doctor had left.

Shawn gave another thumbs up, but it was obvious to the others in the room that that wasn't exactly the case.

"Shawn?" Juliet prodded. "Scale of one to ten." Shawn knew that tone of voice – Juliet was serious. So he relented and help up three fingers.

"Just a three?" Henry said a little too loudly, smirking when Shawn winced, hand going to his head. "That's what I thought." Shawn groaned, expressing his annoyance at his father, but held up five fingers on his other hand as well. "Eight, That sounds more like it," Henry said concerned, his voice much lower this time. "We'll make sure the doctor gives you something for the pain," he reassured him.

Shawn wished he could protest. He was so sick of sleeping. Still, he wasn're sure if being conscious was worth the headache he was currently experiencing, so he nodded and closed his eyes, waiting for the nurse to return.

He didn't have to wait long. "We're going to need you all to step back," a firm voice ordered the group. "Shawn?" the same voice asked, much gentler now. "I'm Angela. We just need you to stay awake for a few minutes more." Shawn nodded, forcing his eyes open. Juliet stood closest to him, while Gus and his dad stood towards the back of the room, surely forced there by the nurse. He counted three additional technicians in the room but was too tired to figure out their roles. "This is Gene," Angela told him, as if reading his mind. "He's a respiratory therapist and he'll be the main person removing you from the respirator." Shawn gave Gene a half-hearted wave.

"His headache's also bad," Shawn saw his father stepping forward, addressing the nurse in his no-nonsense manner.

"Doctor O'Sullivan already ordered more pain meds," Angela returned simply.

"Okay, Shawn," Gene said once everything was set up. "On the count of three, I'm going to need you to cough very deeply, okay? We'll pull out the tube, but the coughing will help us." Shawn nodded, though he was clearly panicking. His heart monitor began to beep faster and he reached for the tube again, suddenly overwhelmed with the fear that he was choking on it.

"Shawn!" Juliet this time. She stepped forward and took his hand. "They're going to take it out. Right now, but you _need_ to calm down." Shawn forced himself to stop struggling, but his eyes conveyed his fear.

"Let's get this over with as quickly as possible," Angela said, motioning for Juliet to step back. But Shawn had a death-grip on her hand and wouldn't release it.

"I'll stay out of the way," Juliet promised, looking back at Shawn. Apparently deciding it was more important that the patient stay calm, Angela agreed, but only after making sure Juliet would listen to the professionals and move out of the way if necessary. Juliet promised, taking her place beside Shawn's bed and squeezing his hand. "I'm here, Shawn," she said quietly, and the relief was evident in Shawn's eyes.

"Okay then, let's get started," Gene said, rounding the bed. "As I said, Shawn, on the count of three, I need you to cough deeply. It may be uncomfortable, but we'll try to be as quick as possible."

Shawn nodded once, then squeezed Juliet's hand as the other techs surrounded the bed, preparing themselves for the tube removal. Gene started counting down and Shawn did as he was told, coughing and gagging as the tube was forcefully pulled from his throat. He continued to cough raggedly even when the obstruction was gone and he felt Juliet's hand rubbing his back as he gasped for air.

"Good job, Shawn," Gene said, stepping back to allow Henry and Gus access. "Your throat will be sore for awhile, so I recommend eating ice chips and drinking water to help soothe it." Angela handed Juliet a cup of ice chips as Gene and the other technicians left.

"How's your headache, Shawn?" Angela asked, hearing Henry grumbling something from behind her. "I need to hear it from him," she explained patiently.

Shawn coughed again, trying to answer but finding his throat too dry. "Here," Juliet said, scooping up an ice chip with a spoon and holding it to his mouth. Shawn took it gratefully, swallowing the ice before trying to talk again. Even then, his voice still sounded like sand paper.

"Bad," he said, wanting to limit the amount of words he spoke. The coughing had certainly not helped the headache one bit, and as much as he wanted to stay awake and talk to his friends, he was having trouble thinking past the pain. Angela nodded, addressing the others.

"I'm going to give him something for the pain, but I'm going to have Doctor O'Sullivan check on him in a bit, just to make sure everything's still going well." She injected the meds into his IV and left the room.

Shawn could feel his eyes drooping, but he was fighting the pull of sleep. "Is that any better, kid?" Henry asked gently.

"Ye...yeah." Shawn grunted. "Tell..." Shawn broke off, coughing.

"What is it, Shawn?" Gus asked.

Shawn tried again. "Tell Huggins. Nice...hit," Shawn finally closed his eyes, falling asleep to the soft laughter of his dad and his best friends.

* * *

><p>"So he's been awake?" Shawn chose not to open his eyes right away, wanting to figure out who was in his room. That definitely wasn't his father's or Gus's voice. "Has he said anything?" <em>Lassie<em>? Shawn thought, confused. _What __the __hell __was __Lassie __doing __in __his __hospital __room_?

"They still have him on some pretty strong painkillers." No question, that was Juliet's voice. "His head was hurting him pretty badly both times he woke up."

"Did they...did the doctor say when he'd be better?" If Shawn didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Lassiter sounded concerned. Shawn didn't hear a response, so he assumed Juliet shook her head. He cracked an eye open, trying to see for himself.

"Shawn?" it had only been for a second, and his eye had only opened to a mere slit, but of course Juliet had caught him. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to make it seem like he'd just woken up.

"Hey," he croaked out, smiling and scanning the room. Gus and his father were nowhere to be seen. It was just Juliet and Lassiter. "Lassie!" Shawn said as loudly as he could.

"Spencer," Lassiter returned, all business-like and serious. "Just came to make sure you were behaving yourself." He stood there, shifting on his feet, and Shawn could tell there was something else that was bothering him. Knowing there was no way the detective would let it out, Shawn used his tried-and-true tactic of pissing him off.

"Well, technically, it's your fault I'm here," he paused, coughing lightly. "If you had been a better pitcher..." he trailed off when Lassiter's face didn't reflect his annoyance. Instead, Shawn saw guilt.

"Shawn!" Juliet scolded lightly from beside him.

"Whoa, Lassie, I'm just kidding. Do you really think this was your fault?"

Lassiter didn't answer right away, and when he did he refused to look Shawn in the eye. "Huggins is the fire department's worst hitter, and yet when I'm pitching he's able to hit a bullet like he's...well like he's a good hitter."

"Babe Ruth? Ted Williams? Mickey Mantle?" Shawn filled in for him. "You couldn't come up with _one_ name?"

Lassiter shrugged. "I'm not really a baseball fan. Now if it was a gun sport..." he trailed off when he felt O'Hara's and Spencer's eyes on him in disbelief. "Whatever, you get the point! If I had been a better pitcher, this wouldn't have happened."

Shawn laughed, "The whole point of slow-pitch softball is to _let_ them hit it. Sure, some people throw curve balls or sliders, but those are the ridiculously hardcore people who take it far too seriously. And you're too busy catching bad guys for that." Lassiter smiled a little and Shawn took that as a sign to continue. "It was luck, Lassie. Good luck for Huggins and bad luck for me. But it wasn't anybody's fault. And I'm already feeling better." That last statement was slightly undermined when Shawn broke off into a coughing fit, but he was still pretty sure he had gotten through to Lassiter. Juliet poured a glass of water for him and helped him drink it.

"You probably shouldn't be trying to talk too much," Juliet scolded lightly. Shawn nodded in agreement, lying back against the pillows.

"I should get back to the station," Lassiter said after a few minutes. "The chief said she'd be here later, but she wanted me to tell you to get better. Not too soon, though. We've been enjoying the quiet at the station." Shawn chuckled at that. "Glad you're okay, Spencer," he said, turning and leaving.

Juliet pulled a chair up beside Shawn's bed. "That was nice of you. Saying that stuff to Lassiter."

Shawn shrugged. "It really wasn't his fault. Besides, I remember getting hit...and I can remember him helping with the paramedics."

Juliet nodded. "Yeah, he did. You should have heard him ordering everyone around. Pretty scary," she said, smiling.

"I bet. Where're my dad and Gus?"

"I forced Gus to go home for a bit. His back was hurting him from sleeping on the hospital cots. He's not used to sleeping in police cars or uncomfortable department couches like me and your dad are. And he was starting to smell." Shawn laughed, his eyes closing. "And your dad went to pick up your mom from the airport."

Shawn opened his eyes at that. "My mom's coming?"

Juliet nodded. "Of course she's coming, Shawn. She got on a flight as soon as she heard about your accident."

"This should be interesting," Shawn said sleepily. "She always hated when I played sports. Used to say I would crack my head open."

Juliet leaned forward, kissing Shawn lightly on the forehead. "Maybe she's psychic too."

* * *

><p>Short, I know, but I don't know when I'll have internet next. Please review!<p> 


End file.
